Quasimodo
Quasimodo is the protagonist of Disney's 1996 animated feature film, [[The Hunchback of Notre Dame|''The'' Hunchback of Notre Dame]]. Quasimodo was born deformed, possessing a hunched back, from which the film takes its name. Because of his ghastly appearance, the kindhearted bell-ringer of Notre Dame was condemned to the cathedral's highest tower by his cruel caretaker, Claude Frollo. From there, Quasimodo developed a yearning to experience the outside world and live a normal life amongst the people of Paris. Background Quasimodo first appeared as a baby (whose face is not seen, only his arm, but is described by Frollo to be a "monster") being carried by his mother. His mother and father were gypsies and were secretly entering Paris through the waterways. Judge Claude Frollo, believing that they had stolen something, stood in their way and have Chase to Quasimodo's mother when she ran, and delivered a kick to her, breaking her neck on the steps of Notre Dame and killing her. When he discovered that the bundle she had been carrying was actually a baby, and seeing that he was deformed, he planned to drown Quasimodo in a well, believing him to be an unholy demon. However, the Archdeacon of Notre Dame commanded him not to murder the baby. Frollo was then ordered to adopt Quasimodo as his own to make up for his sin of killing an innocent woman. However, he only did this because he felt the infant would later prove useful to him. Personality Despite his appearance, Quasimodo is a kind and gentle person. He was also curious and trusting, enough so that he was naive to the true nature of his master, Frollo until he was in his early twenties. Even when Frollo taught Quasimodo that gypsies, such as Esmeralda, were evil, Quasimodo was not particularly violent towards them. He also seems to have an attachment to Notre Dame, as he didn't leave even after he was accepted into society. Due to being raised by Frollo, and being isolated from everyone else, Quasimodo initially had fairly poor social skills. This is shown with his shyness and his initial fear of Esmeralda. Additionally, when she displayed compassion towards him, he jumped to the conclusion that she was romantically attracted to him, and he was heavily heartbroken when she revealed that her heart belonged to Phoebus. However, Quasimodo is still close friends with Phoebus and Esmeralda. His devotion to his master almost proved to be his undoing, as it has almost caused him to abandon his friends and allies. He can also show violence towards his enemies, particularly when they are threatening his friends and allies, especially towards Esmeralda. Physical appearance Quasimodo is a deformed young man, with a large, curved hunch on his back, along with a lump above his left eye. He also has a large nose, a massive central incisor and heavy arms. He has fair skin, red hair and blue eyes. For clothing, he wears a long, short-sleeved green tunic, brown tights and teal shoes. In the second film, he still wears his original outfit, but also gets new duds consisting of a violet/purple/brown stripe circus outfit along with a blue cape and a violet/purple/brown stripe hat. The hat also has two blue feathers (at least until Djali eats them). Abilities Quasimodo is a talented artist, possessing the skills needed to carve miniature figurines and toys, a scale wooden model of Paris and the Cathedral itself, and decoration of hung shards of stained glass. Quasimodo likely developed his skills in handicraft as a hobby or to make his life isolated in the bell tower more bearable. Quasimodo, despite his appearance, is very agile and acrobatic, as he is able to quickly move across rooftops, scale buildings, rope-swing, and climb large structures with relative ease. He likely made a habit of climbing and scaling the Cathedral to better observe the world from which his master forbade him from ever entering, and to see the free people, envying them for being able to live as they do. Due to his duty to ring the bells of Notre Dame, Quasimodo possesses extreme physical strength. One of the first instances of this abnormal physical strength was shown when Quasimodo was able to lift the fully-armored Phoebus up off his feet with no notable effort when Phoebus entered the bell tower in search of Esmeralda. Perhaps the most impressive feat Quasimodo has shown was his ability to break free of the chains which held him in the bell tower when Frollo was preparing to execute Esmeralda. Appearances [[The Hunchback of Notre Dame|''The'' Hunchback of Notre Dame]] Quasimodo was raised by Frollo in the bell tower of Notre Dame. However, he was trapped there and was led to believe by Frollo that his mother abandoned him. He always longed to be free, despite making three friends in the form of gargoyles Hugo, Victor, and Laverne. They persuade him to go against Frollo's strict orders never to leave the tower and Quasimodo attends the Festival of Fools. At the festival, he meets the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda. He instantly falls in love with her. She drags him up on the stage for a competition to see who can make the ugliest face after removing their masks, presuming his deformed face to be a disguise. Once upon the stage, they realize it is really his face, though Clopin points out this is exactly what they are looking for. Just then, Frollo sees him and realizes his disobedience. After a guard throws food at Quasimodo and mocks him, the crowd turns from cheering to tormenting Quasimodo, who is then tied down and barraged with a flurry of produce. Esmeralda, seeing this, stands up for him, cuts him free and calls for justice. Following the gypsy's escape, Frollo is furious with his charge. After the festival Quasimodo witnesses Esmeralda singing "God Help The Outcasts", but before he can talk to her, a parishioner who mistook him for causing trouble shouts at him, causing him to knock down a candle staff and flee back to the bell tower. Esmeralda was terrified seeing Quasimodo being scared away by the Parishioner and follows him, while the Archdeacon stops the Parishioner when he attempted to stop her and Djali from following him. Quasimodo eventually befriends Esmeralda, who once more apologizes to him for what happened at the festival and whom he helps to escape from Notre Dame and Frollo's guards. Before she leaves, Esmeralda gives the hunchback an amulet that leads to the Court of Miracles after he tells her that he refuses to leave the bell tower to go out there due to what happened to him at the Festival. Afterward, Quasimodo encounters Phoebus and gets defensive towards him when the captain asks him where the gypsy was. Back in the bell tower, the gargoyles think Esmeralda is in love with Quasimodo but he tells them it's not true. However, in the song "Heaven's Light", he expresses his love for the gypsy girl and wonders if she loves him back after being the first person ever in his life to be so kind to him. Later, after seeing Paris burned by Frollo, Quasimodo is worried that Esmeralda might be in danger, but the gargoyles cheer him up by convincing him that she is in love with him ("A Guy Like You"). Later, he offers sanctuary to an injured Phoebus, who is taken to Notre Dame's bell tower by Esmeralda after she saves him from drowning in the river. He watches as the two lovers kiss right in front of his eyes. He is heartbroken, but when he heard Frollo coming, he can do nothing but push thoughts of Esmeralda to the back of his mind. He hides Phoebus and quickly tries to hide what has happened from Frollo. Frollo, however, is already aware that he helped Esmeralda and announces that he will attack the Court of Miracles with a thousand men. After he leaves, Phoebus asks Quasimodo if he can come with him to the court. Quasimodo initially refuses, but ultimately agrees due to his friendship with the gypsy girl. Using the amulet Esmeralda gave him, Quasimodo and Phoebus make their way to the Court of Miracles, only to be ambushed by the gypsies. Clopin, the king of the gypsies, accuses the two of trespassing their headquarters and orders them hanged, but Esmeralda comes in time to rescue them. The Hunchback of Notre Dame II = Other appearances Video games ''Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance'' Musical Disney Parks Disneyland Resort Walt Disney World Disneyland Paris Disney Cruise Line Differences from the source material Relationships Claude Frollo Gallery Trivia Category:Characters